Sleek multi-channel video monitoring

I need to put together some ideas for a way to monitor 4 video channels we are sending over satellite. Since I am just in the planning stage I will tell you what the ideal setup is that I have in mind...

-1 LCD or CRT monitor that can be divided into 4 quadrants for each video source.

-Audio monitoring (through a speaker) for each source

-visual audio vu meters within each video window for audio signal monitoring of each video signal even when I don't have the speaker turned up for that source

We are wanting to put this on a desk in the master control area we are working in so that we can immediatly catch any problems with the downlink from the satellite. The space is limited on the desk, so I need something fairly compact.

There was a broadcast solution for this, they used to advertise heavily for a time in TV Technology Magazine, but I tuned it out and have not seen it lately: it was set up to make an entire, dynamically configurable control rool monitor wall out of one big plasma screen... or for that matter, any CRT or projector source. Could include the audio VU meters, even title bars over each virtual monitor square to identify the sources, plus digital and/or analog clock displays. It was the shizzle for control rooms or homeland security monitoring rooms, etc. with much higher quality than the security-oriented splitter products. Of course, it would cost more too.

If I remember the name or see the ad again, I'll update this post. Meanwhile, if you go to the TV technology magazine web site, you might be able to track it down thru their advertiser pages.

Miranda makes something like that called the Kalidascope. it's pretty nifty,and accepts whatever inputs you can throw at it. It might be pricey for your application, but it definitely has the cool factor...

We use an older version of Kaleido from Miranda in our studio control and other than computer memory leaks and inconsistant performance, it does what it is supposed to do. I'm still waiting to hear from them when I talked with them at NAB. I think "buy the newer version" was their basic answer.

For you solution, there are others competing with Miranda who may serve your needs.